Guardian reporter sent for trial in Harare

The Guardian's Zimbabwe correspondent, Andrew Meldrum, and a local reporter were yesterday the first journalists to be sent for trial under President Robert Mugabe's draconian new media law which carries penalties of up to two years in jail.

Harare magistrate Joyce Negonde said Mr Meldrum, a US citizen, would stand trial on June 12 and Lloyd Mudiwa, of the Daily News, on June 20. They are charged under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act with publishing "falsehoods".

They are among 12 journalists charged under the act since it came into force 10 weeks ago. Bornwell Chakaodza, the editor of the independent Standard, has been charged on five separate occasions.

Critics of the law - which makes it an offence to get any facts in a story wrong, however trivial - have protested that it is really about muzzling the press and suppressing dissent.

The case against Mr Meldrum and Mr Mudiwa originated from a story run in the Daily News and the Guardian about allegations that Mr Mugabe's vigilante supporters had beheaded a woman. Although the Daily News apologised to the ruling Zanu-PF after failing to find a grave, the woman's body has since been found.

Neither journalist spoke after yesterday's hearing. Their lawyer Beatrice Mtetwa said: "We are happy the state has finally set a date and we hope we can prove our case that the state is being vindictive with these prosecutions."